Metal reel bat



Patented Aug. 3, 1954 METAL REEL BAT Charles J. Scranton and Porte, Ind., assignors to Robert L. Worrell, La Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis. Application November 8, 1951, Serial No. 255,422

3 Claims. 1

This invention is concerned with providing a metal reel bat which can be used in place of the hardwood reel bats customarily used on harvesting implements.

Since the war years, good hardwood for use as reel bats has grown exceedingly scarce and expensive. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a lightweight metal reel bat which approximates both the weight and strength of a hardwood reel bat.

In the prior art solid or perforated sheets of metal have been used as reel bats. The objection to these is that they are usually too heavy or too weak and often times are too expensive, and sometimes such metal reel bats cause excessive wrapping or clinging of harvested material thereto.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reel bat and mounting therefor which eliminates harvested material from wrapping or clinging to the bat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lightweight inexpensive metal reel bat which is of longer life than a hardwood bat.

Accordingly, the present invention may be considered as comprising the various features of construction and/or combination as hereinafter more fully set forth in the following detailed description and appended claims, reference being had to the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows parts of a reel provided with metal bats;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of one half of a bat section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the complementary part of a bat section;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an assembled metal bat;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of the assembled bat section taken along the line V-V of Fig. IV;

Fig. 6 illustrates an enlarged bat assembly attached to a bracket and reel arm with parts broken away;

Fig. '7 is a left side elevation of the bat assembly shown in Fig. 6 with parts broken away;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one element of a modifled. bat structure;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section the line IXIX of Fig. 8;

taken along Fig. 10 shows a plan view of an assembled bat made of 2 9; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section taken along the line XIX[ of Fig. 10.

Referring to Fig. 1 it is seen that a bat struchalves constructed as shown in Fig.

ture embodying the invention is applied to a reell2 of the type adapted to be used on a harvester machine. The reel comprises a shaft 53 having radial extending disks l4 attached thereto (only one of which is shown), a plurality of reel arms I6 are attached to disk [4 by conventional means, reinforcing straps I! connect the reel arms and serve to brace same, and reel bats [8 are attached to the ends of the reel arms by means of brackets l9.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 it is seen that reel bat I8 is attached to bracket member [9 carried by the end of the reel support arm by means of nuts 2i and bolts 22. Reel bat l8 comprises a pair of relatively light gauge sheet metal elongated members 23 and 24. Each of these members 23 and 24 (see Fig. 5) is formed with a concave surface 26 and 21, respectively, extending substantially the length thereof. These two concave surfaces are identical and the reel bat is assembled with these two surfaces opposing each other and forming a passage 28 substantially extending the length of the bat and forming a pair of convex curved outer surfaces 29 which tend to eliminate harvested material from clinging or wrapping about the bat. As is shown in Fig. 2 member 23 is formed with horizontally substantially longitudinally extending marginal flange portions 3| which can be bent over the marginal flange portion 32 of member 24 as is shown in Fig. 5, or in other words, plane marginal portion 32 is sandwiched between folded over flange portions 3|. To further strength the reel bat, spot welds 33 through the flange portions 3| of member 23 and the flange portions 32 of member 24 are provided as indicated in Fig. 4. It has been found advisable to locate such spot welds adjacent the center of the bat for greatest stiffening effect. Also shown in Fig. 4 are apertures 34 which receive bolts 22 when the bat is attached to bracket [9. It is, therefore, seen that members 23 and 24 are not only joined frictionally by the turned over flange portions 3! contacting the flange portions 32 of member 24, but are also joined by means of spot welds 33 and by nuts 2i and bolts 22. If desired other fastening means than spot welding could be utilized, such as rivets or bolts.

Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate a modified construction of reel bat 36 which is fastenable to bracket [9 in the manner previously described for reel bat It. This modified reel bat 35 consists of two identical light gauge sheet metal elongated members 31 such as are shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The members 31 are joined together to form slat 36 by sliding or sandwiching the longitudinal edge or plane marginal portion 38 of each member under the turned over marginal portion 39 of the opposite member as is shown in Fig. ll. After the members 31' are so joined the turned over portions 39 of each can be further bent to insure closer frictional contact with the portion 38 inserted thereunder.

This modified reel bat is further strengthened in the manner previously described for reel cat 18 by means of similar spot welds 33 through the turned over portions 39 and enclosed portion 38 thereof and by nuts 2| and, bolts 22 which bolts pass through apertures 34 in the bat 36.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, l0 and 11 is the preferred construction of reel bat as it is less costly in that it requires only one die to stamp both members 37 whereas, in the previously illustrated construction it would require two dies to stamp members 23 and 25. Either type of construction provides a lightweight reel bat which is very strong and provides a configuration wherein the surfaces of the reel bat contacting harvest material tend to eliminate wrapping or clinging of the harvest material to the bat. In either embodiment of this invention a reel bat has been provided which is constructed of light gauge metal whereby the total weight of the bat compares favorably with a wooden bat of th same size and yet the bat is made of a more durable material and of more efiicient shape for harvest material handling. It is believed that both illustrated constructions of reel bat are of equal strength and function the same.

It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular details of construction and design shown and described herein for purposes of illustration and that the invention includes such other applications and modifications as are fairly included within the scope of the annexed claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A reel bat comprising a pair of elongated trough shaped sheet metal members having arcuately concave portions defining inner surfaces, respectively, in confronting spaced relation to each other and presenting convex outer surfaces at opposite sides of said bat, and peripheral flanges in surrounding relation to said concave portions, each of said flanges extending outward from said concave portions and having face to face engagement with the other, and fastening means rigidly connecting said flanges together.

2. A reel bat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sheet metal members are shaped identically, each having a plane marginal portion along one of its longitudinal edges and a folded over marginal portion along the other of its longitudinal edges, said plane portions being sandwiched, respectively, between said folded over portions.

3. A reel bat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flanges are spot welded together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 713,132 Moore Nov. 11, 1902 723,483 OShea Mar. 24, 1903 982,072 Kullander Jan. 17,1911

1,488,894 Porter Apr. 1, 1924 2,430,298 MacGregor Nov. 4, 194? 2,457,490 Press Dec. 28, 1948 

